Unpredictable Overindulgent Reappearances
by No Wonder
Summary: Several Couples Post Blue Noon - It's been four years since Melissa, Jessica, and Jonathan left Bixby. With their return comes a whole host of 'NewMi's, suppressed emotions, and new relationships - all leading up to the "1st Annual Midnighters Convention"
1. Chapter ::1::

Unpredictable Overindulgent Reappearances

A Midnighters fanfic by Jillian Hall

Melissa, Jonathan, and Jessica return to Bixby after being on the road for four long years. Along with them come many 'NewMi's, suppressed emotion, as well as plenty of sarcasm.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or setting as depicted in The Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld. I own my words and nothing more.

Note: It's been a year since I completed the Midnighters series. I probably ought to reread it, so, forgive me if there are any minor plot inconsistensies. Notification would be much appreicated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 13, 9:47 AM

The phone rang but Dess didn't answer. She _had_ been sleeping peacefully until the blasted telecommunications device pulled her from her pleasant dreams. It continued to ring and Dess threw the pillow over her ears, angrily yelling out the beginnings of all the infinite numbers of Pi.

"You've reached Dess' room. Leave a message because I probably don't want to talk to you. Just be happy this isn't in binary."

_Beeeep._

"Dess? Hey it's Melissa. I couldn't get a hold of Rex, so-"

"Melissa?" Dess had sprung from her bed with the agility of an Olympic pole vaulter in order to snatch the phone from its cradle. Now, she lay sprawled on the hardwood floor, the sheets caught up all around her; she knew she was never meant to be a pole vaulter anyway.

"Am I dreaming?" the polymath asked, slightly woozy from her harrowing phone-grabbing action.

"No, Dess, it's me," the mindcaster responded, her voice devoid of all enthusiasm.

"Long time no hear from! What makes me worthy of a phone call from the bitch goddess?" Dess asked, hoping that a little sarcasm would awaken her.

"I need Rex's new number. I tried his house, Madeline's house, the phone book... No one knows anything about his whereabouts."

"So… I was your last resort?"

"Basically."

"I can live with that."

"Will you just give me his number?"

"I might…"

"Dess."

"Melissa."

"Will you give me the number or not?"

"What's the point slope formula?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?"

"It's simple algebra. I'm going easy on you here."

"a bc. Can I have the number _now_?"

"That's the Pythagorean Theorem, silly!" Dess began to think that maybe she should answer her 'early morning' calls more often. She was surprisingly witty in the 'wee hours' of the morning.

"Dess. I don't play games. I will come and _take_ the number from you if you don't give it to me. So spill. Now."

"Alright, alright, you take the fun out of everything. He only recently got a cell phone because of his whole "I hate technology!" complex. His number is 555-9274 but you-" the dial tone rung out harmoniously as Dess sighed. Melissa had his number in her possession, but that really wouldn't do her much good.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 13, 9:51 AM

He only got a cell phone because Dess had practically forced him.

"But what if you're in a car crash and are sprawled out on the highway and a mountain lion comes and starts to feast on you while some criminals steal your car and then break into your apartment and-"

"Fine, fine! I'll get a cell phone if that will stop you from harassing me!"

He remembered the ongoing battle as the polymath tried to spell out endless predicaments where a cell phone would save his ass.

He had given in, but chose a model at least ten years old he found at a junk shop. If he was going to be hauling around a piece of technology, it might as well be an old and crappy one.

He never had it turned on because it was usually in the backseat of his car, shoved somewhere between the lore books and the endless takeout wrappers. But for some reason today he decided to bring it into the library with him, placing it on his desk where he could keep a keen eye on it. And, for an even stranger reason, he had the urge to actually turn it on. He eyed it cautiously throughout the morning, making sure it hadn't moved in any of his absences, as if it were a strange and foreign sort of prey.

So, at 9:51 AM when it miraculously rang, he was ready to take the call. Surprised, yes, but ready as well.

"Hello?" he questioned, unsure if he was actually using it properly.

"Rex?" the voice asked with uncertainty, cracking with fear. Instantly Rex jammed the phone closer to ear, wishing he could melt into the receiver and float through the air to her.

"Melissa!" he cried, his heart jumping into action.

"Is it… really you?" he asked, sure that it must have been Dess impersonating her, trying to take advantage of his loneliness for her own pleasure.

"It is. …How are you?" Rex could barely breathe as Melissa struggled with small talk.

"I'm managing to get by. How are you? It's been so long… I thought…," the seer trailed breathlessly, forcing his heart to beat at a steadier pace.

"I know… I'm sorry… but it's been crazy. Every where we go there's new Midnighters yearning to be just like us. It's been nonstop teaching, informing, fighting… missing you." The last two words were barely whispered but Rex heard them nonetheless, defying his cheap cell phone provider by putting his super sensitive hearing to good use.

"Where are you?" Rex asked suddenly, not allowing himself to think over his questions.

"Well actually…," Melissa paused and asked a question of someone else who was with her. Rex, despite his improved hearing, could not make out the muffled and low spoken words.

"We're about an hour away from Bixby by car. We're coming home, Rex. For good."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 13, 11:58

Rex sighed as a shiver of anticipation rippled through him. Melissa, Jonathan, Jessica, and a whole host of new Midnighters would be arriving within the next ten minutes.

Melissa had told him that Jonathan would be bringing her as well as Jessica by bounce, while new acrobats brought others and the other flamebringer they discovered would drive a car filled with everyone else.

Traveling by bounce, they could cross the hour's worth of land in minutes. Within in ten minutes he would be seeing Melissa.

Time crept by painfully slow as the familiar shudder of midnight silenced all of Bixby.

"You ready, Rex?" the seer glanced over at almost forgotten Dess. The polymath had tagged along, anxious to see her friends and meet any new polymaths.

"I guess… I just can't wait to see her." There was a slight layer of tension in the air as Dess looked down. He loved Melissa, she loved him. Jonathan loved Jessica, she loved him. With their return, Dess was, once again, the fifth wheel: unneeded, unnecessary, and unwanted.

"Yeah, I bet," Dess sighed, wistfully looking onto the horizon, hoping only for a male polymath to arrive with the bunch; a male polymath, who was, of course, very handsome.

Rex, on the other hand, was anxious, nervous, happy, and upset all at the same time. His mind buzzed with thoughts of her, his hands shaking with anticipation. He couldn't wait to show her how tame he had become – how he could handle his inner beast at all times. He wanted her to be proud of him.

The minutes inched by as Dess and Rex shared mindless banter, killing time with half hearted words. They played a few rounds of 'Count the Rocks' but Rex soon lost interest when Dess began to crunch the numbers, giving him rough estimates of how many rocks approximately lay in the western hemisphere based on her calculations. And, after what seemed like centuries, Rex spotted three bouncing dots on the horizon.

"Look Dess!" he shouted with more enthusiasm than he had had in years.

"I see, I see!" Dess shouted with sarcastic excitement, noticing Rex's growing anticipation.

"Keep in your pants, will ya?" she commented, earning only an angry glare from Rex.

Jonathan, with Melissa and Jessica in tow, bounded to the ground several moments later. Melissa immediately broke free from Jonathan's hold and ran towards Rex, as if to hug him. But she stopped only a foot short, breathing heavily and gazing up at him wistfully.

She was so close that he could feel her exhalations, her breath hot and wet on his chest.

"Hi," he said with a gulp, unsure what exactly she expected him to do.

"_Hi_." She said with a laugh, drawing him into a warm embrace.

"_Hi…,_" she breathed, holding him tighter than ever. Rex grabbed her tightly as well, so glad to see her that he didn't even notice how happy and un-Melissa like she was acting.

"I missed you so much… God, I missed you!" she cried, pulling him so close that Rex thought it was entirely possible that they might fuse into one. And, if they had, he wouldn't have really minded.

"How cute…," Dess muttered jealously, turning to Jessica and Jonathan who, surprisingly, weren't all over each other.

"Isn't it?" Jessica squealed, obviously not realizing Dess was being sarcastic.

"So, when does the rest of the cavalry get here?" Dess asked, scanning the horizon for fast approached cars.

"Considering they'll be driving way over the speed limit, I'd say they'll here within the next twenty minutes." Jonathan said as Jessica clung to his arm. It was quite odd to see a 20-year-old Jonathan being clingy with a still 15-year-old Jess.

The Midnighters had all aged, with the exception of nearly-forever young Jess. Dess, although she looked like an adult, rarely acted her age. She had no job, slept in late every day, and still lived off of her gracious parents. She was forever inventing new toys, shipping them off to Midnighter warehouses that had been established across the country. These storehouses were created after Samhain, just in case the darklings ever came back. That way, if the darklings ever did show their faces again, humankind would be more than ready to take them down once more.

Rex, on the other hand, had taken up a management position at the library, making enough to afford his own apartment. He still cared for Madeleine and his father, but having his own his place had given him a place to relax where no one could bother him. He thought about Melissa way more than he admitted. So much so that his social life, although nearly nonexistent while Melissa was around, had become completely devoid of anything. He rarely saw anyone, with the exception of Madeleine and his father, and Dess only stopped by now and again to check up on him or show him a new metallic wonder. He was even a shell of himself; lost without the one person who could make him feel alive.

Melissa had become even more introverted since her departure as well. Rex was the only Midnighter she felt especially comfortable with, and when they were apart she felt totally isolated and alone. She took small pleasure in teaching new mindcasters of their abilities, but besides this distraction she dreamt only of going home. Her appearance had drastically changed as well, her hair now lengthy and dark. She was a woman now, mature, beauteously, and fully grown. However, Rex could wrap his arms around her even more than before, causing the seer to believe she was dangerously thin.

Jonathan was still tall, dark, handsome, and full of energy. The contrast between Jessica and him seemed even greater now; Jessica's pale, small self so different from the dark and powerful man. His appetite had not diminished at all either; even after only having landed a minute earlier, an apple had already been produced and it was half gone.

"How many are coming?" Dess asked as Jessica answered for her munching partner.

"Three acrobats with two passengers each and a car packed with nine. We met thousands more, but there were only a select few who wanted to come with us. They're just kids, Dess. Most of them younger than me, even. No one over 21 was willing to leave their lives, which is understandable. But they've got a lot to learn yet, we couldn't teach them everything." The redhead was still just a kid herself; living only an hour for every day the others had spent maturing and growing.

Dess shook her head and glanced over at Melissa and Rex, who were still lost in Couplesville. It was definitely going to be a long time before they could pry themselves apart.

"I never heard from you… all these years. I thought that you'd moved on. I thought maybe you'd met another mindcaster. I thought that…" Rex Greene was much more vulnerable than he thought. Here he was, spilling his feelings to the girl who had left him. She had admitted she loved him, she trusted him, she was his best friend, but just like his mother she left him. And here he was giving her exactly what she wanted to hear.

"I know… I tried. I dialed the first six numbers of your phone number so many times… but I couldn't do it. I'd think back to how you looked the day we drove off. I felt as if I'd crushed your heart…"

"You did." Rex gulped. He hoped he wasn't being too brutal. But no matter what he told himself on the inside, Melissa had killed his feelings for a very long time.

"Rex, I…" Melissa began but Rex brushed the stray strands of hair out of her eyes and said what he'd been dying to say for four years.

"But it's ok because you came back, like you promised. I love you… never leave me again." He silenced any reply her lips had been forming with a kiss, sending four years of lost passion into a kiss that exceeded every expectation the two had had for their reuniting. Melissa broke free for a moment, closing her eyes and pulling Rex tighter.

"I swear to you on my life, I'll never you again. Never."

"I trust you, Melissa… I trust you."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 14, 12:48

Marty stretched his arms, hitting several other NewMi's in the process. It was late, he was tired, and they had been driving for 48 minutes too long. He wanted to get to this Bixby place and go to sleep. It was impossible to sleep in the car with 4 other NewMi's jammed up against him. Even imagining all the infinite numerals of Pi in his head did nothing.

He was a recent graduate of Yale University, graduating at only 19. He wasn't a true polymath - more like a genius. His tridecalogism skills were even more advanced than Dess's; he could create 13 or 39 letter sentences on a whim as well.

"When exactly are we all going to arrive, Meaghan?" He asked, using 39 letters exactly.

"We'll be there in 5 minutes! Chill, Marty!" the only other flamebringer known to exist yelled, her small hands grasping the wheel even tighter. To her, being 13-years-old was hard enough, but it was even harder when you had to deal with freaks like Marty Benson. Meaghan could be described as even more daylight worthy than Jessica, probably meaning she was born at 12:00:59. That is, at least, what Marty had figured.

"Yeah, Marty. Cut it out. You're annoying." Jarrett chided playfully, chucking an apple core at the older boy's head.

"Cut it out pipsqueak. I was entering college at your age, punk," Marty rolled his eyes sarcastically, anxious to escape the realm of little children.

"Hey guys, we're here!" Meaghan shouted with joy as the car erupted with shouts and hollers. The doors flung open before the car had even completely stopped, kids literally throwing themselves from the vehicle.

"So… which one's the polymath?" Dess asked eagerly as Jessica threw a finger in Marty's direction.

"Damn it! He's a… nerd!" Dess pretended to vomit while gazing upon Marty's nerdy physique.

"Skinny as hell, pocket protector, glasses… are those suspenders?" Dess leaned forward, trying to take in the full view of the incredibly dorky Marty.

"Wait as minute… is that a T93A834K CALCULATOR? OH MY GOD!" Dess was gone in a flash, nearly flying to the boy who just produced a bulky calculator from his bag.

"Can I… touch it?" Her eyes glossed over with admiration, reaching for the shiny and powerful machine. The handheld device was quickly yanked from her grasp.

"I guess you're Dess. Jessica's description of you was much… less emo." Dess cringed in agony as this phrase was spoken. It was so… untrideca-y that it made her brain ache.

"You used 54 letters. You used 12 words. _52_ is a multiple of _13._ You little…" Dess's anger rose as she stared into her new rival's face. This wasn't the handsome, sweep you off your feet kind of polymath. This was the 'I hate you already,' kind of polymath. And in Dess's mind he was definitely going down.

"I knew that feeling would piss you off, Dess."

"35 letters… you're so very cruel."

"Get used to it, hun."

"14 letters… what's the point in even talking to you?" Dess scowled, gazing up and down his wimpy figure. His hair was even nerdily slicked to the side.

"I could beat your puny ass any day," she murmured under her breath, crossing her arms defiantly. This Marty guy was most definitely not the polymath she had ordered.

"Ugh, so _everyone_ here is a freak? Why did I even bother coming?" Dess turned to face what would become the second most loathed person known to her, after Marty of course. Meaghan Jour stood with her frail arms crossed in an arrogant manner.

"_Excuse me?_" Dess questioned, walking up to the immensely small brat who had addressed those in her view, which included Dess, as freaks.

"Oh boy, the Goth One speaketh to me!" the poor excuse for a Midnighter said in mock fright, flailing her size 0 arms around in the air.

"Dess… this is Meaghan. She's a NewMi," Jessica began to explain.

"_NewMi?_ What kind of a crap name is that?" Dess questioned as Jessica sighed, deciding that the moment was a decidedly bad time to begin to introduce the new Midnighters.

"I think it's best we all just head to the hotel, get some sleep, and tomorrow we can sort things out," Jonathan began, tired of all the bickering that had only just begun.

"Yeah whatever," Dess murmured, eyeing Marty up and down once more. He appeared even more disgusting than he had when he had first emerged out of the car. However, there was something slight that had stirred in Dess during their confrontation. Their fervent arguing, his use of decidedly unfriendly letter and word patterns, his general demeanor… Had she gotten turned on?

Dess scowled at the disgusting thought and turned to enter Rex's terribly feminine pink Cadillac. There was no way in hell she and Marty would ever get along. She would make sure of that.

"Dess?" the polymath was jerked from hr thoughts by a slightly aggravated voice?

"Yes, dearest Melissa?" Dess said with fake tenderness, gazing down lovingly at the mindcaster.

"Get off me."

"Ah, right, sorry Melissa." Dess, in her usual habit of sitting in the front seat, as well as her mind being focused on Marty, had accidentally taken a seat right on top of Melissa.

This, Dess was certain, was going to be a most, _most_ wonderful time in her life.


	2. Chapter ::2::

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 14, 7:23 AM

Rex couldn't remember the last time he had been so happy. The previous four years of his existence had drug on and on; one monotonous day followed another. But now, it was as if his whole existence had been injected with steroids. He was refreshed, excited, and _happy_ to be alive.

"Rex? You up already?" Rex paused in the doorway, believing for a moment the voice was only a fleeting memory of years earlier. But, despite what his common sense told him, it was truly Melissa.

"I have to be at the library at eight…" Rex turned to face the raven-haired beauty, who was propping herself up on her elbows – still in bed.

"Oh. I guess I should be getting up as well. We've got to get the new Midnighters situated and everything." She swung her shapely legs over the side of the bed and stood up, Rex still paused in shock.

It would be a long, long time until he could finally accept that Melissa was in Bixby for good. It would take even longer for him to realize that, more importantly, Melissa was _his_ for good.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 14, 7:54 AM

Dess was not happy. She did not like the chair she was sitting in. She did not like the, "Hi! My name is Dess," nametag that was stuck to her shirt. She did not like to be awakened at an hour that happened to fall before 10 AM. But most of all, she did not like the presence of a certain polymath directly to her right.

"Hey… Dess? Yeah, Dess is your name, right? What are we doing here?" Marty asked nasally, causing Dess to shift her weight and turn to face the left.

"Hey! I asked you a question! It would behoove thee to respond, Dess!" he continued, resulting in Dess's anger level to rise even higher.

"…I used 13 words. I even used 52 letters." Dess sighed. Even those who weren't gifted with being a mindcaster could sense the sincerity in his words.

"We're going to get to know each other and become 'Better Midnighters.' At least that's what flyboy said," Dess groaned, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Now, was that so hard?" Marty probed, donning a ridiculous smile.

"Yes. I would have rather written an _English paper_," the polymath said with disdain. Marty's witty response, however, was unable to be spoken. Flyboy himself had stepped onto the stage that Dess and Marty were facing, tapping his microphone cautiously.

A partially filled hotel meeting room splattered with old and new faces looked up at him with awe. Some Midnighters had driven over 200 miles to hear this speech, and he was ready.

Jonathan had volunteered to lead the Bixby Midnighters Association – one of the many associations created after the blue time had spread across the globe. Nearly every major city had one and Midnighters from all walks of life were beginning to learn about their powers.

Dess and Rex had avoided membership, claiming they were practically retired. They rarely went out in the blue time after Melissa, Jonathan, and Jessica left. And now that they were older, there was little mystery and excitement in sneaking out at midnight.

However, this new generation of Midnighters could prove to be the shot of energy that was desperately needed. These 'NewMi's' had barely even begun to experience the magnificence of the blue time.

"We're gathering here today not only to get to know each other better, but also to prepare for the 1st Annual Midnighters Convention, that will be held right here in Bixby. It's only three weeks away and we have a lot to prepare. Our Senior Midnighters," Dess groaned at this term – it made them sound as if they were elderly, "are Dess, Melissa, and Rex, as well as myself. Most of you know Jessica, however, she'll be unable to attend most of our meetings. We're here to answer any questions you may have regarding-"

"Can we just show the little buggers how to fight?" Dess yelled, cutting off Jonathan's heavily rehearsed speech. She threw up her right arm, clutching her newest toy firmly.

"They need to know how to kick darkling ass!" she shouted, as some of the NewMis began to holler.

"Settle down!" Jonathan yelled, his maturity reigning him in. He was having a hard enough time standing still for so long. He wasn't about to let Dess ruin his long planned speech.

"As I was saying, we've all fought the darklings." Melissa sauntered into the room, well aware she was late. "We all know the lore. We're here to teach you, to train you, and to show you how wonderful being a Midnighter really is! You've become a-"

"Cut the crap Jonathan. These aren't little kids you're talking to." Melissa, at this moment, spied Meagan, pausing in her tirade against Jonathan's speech.

"Well, maybe some of them are. But come on. Save your spiel for the parents of young Midnighters who'll bring their frightened kids here in three weeks. Tell them about the Midnighter glories then, eh?" Melissa began to saunter down the aisle of seats, focusing all her energies on the acrobat before her. "Tell them all the ridicule they've received was for a _noble_ cause. Tell all the mindcasters their powers have _positive _effects. Tell all your seers they're blind for a reason. Tell all your acrobats their overeating is nothing to mock." Melissa walked over to Jonathan and placed a hand on his shoulder.

In a hushed voice, she murmured, "Save the valiant speech for those with hope. I've been with you all these years, remember? It wasn't just you and Jessica out there. I saw the desolation these kids feel. The helplessness at knowing nothing about their powers, the fear in finding out they're suddenly different. These kids need to learn that yeah, being a Midnighter is tough. But damn, they're amazing! That they are special – in a good way." She wrapped her hand around his microphone, gazing intently into his eyes.

"Let me do this, flyboy. You've been the golden boy for too long." She yanked the microphone away from him swiftly, turning to face the silent crowd with a placid face. Jonathan, meanwhile, stalked away in bitter defeat and anger. What Melissa said made sense, but the Midnighter Convention was _his_ world. Midnighter dealings kept his mind occupied and off Jessica. And anything that took his mind off Jessica was something he would fight to the death for.

"Listen up. I know you guys are scared. But we're gonna help you. Dess, go man the 'armory.'" Dess immediately jumped out of her seat, springing to her station with a newfound joy in her step.

Even _Marty_ and his disgusting nerdiness couldn't stop her in her domain – the 'armory.' Truth be told, the 'armory' was little more than a section of the basement of the "Midnight Motel"- as it was affectionately known. Bixby Midnighters had set up their HQ in the rundown old motel, fixing it up in order to provide a permanent location for the ever present group of tourist Midnighters that made their way to Bixby in search of the truth behind their powers.

However, this armory held every toy Dess had ever made that had not been blown to smithereens. Every piece of protective jewelry, every weapon, and every shield was stored in the depths of the armory, ready to be put to use in minutes. This was Dess's real home.

But before Dess could reach her piece of paradise, a sickly voice called after her. "Wait! Where are you going?" The gangly Marty sprinted after her, his body a seeming mess of limbs and desperation.

"Ohhhh, not you _again_!" Desmonda cried in agony. She had liked him better when he was an arrogant jerk who wanted little to do with her.

"I want to see these… toys of yours," he said with a devilish smile.

"Oh hell no! Your little 176 IQ body isn't getting anywhere near my babies!" She said guarding the door to the armory with her full body.

"You don't belong in here. Weapons and smart people just don't mix!" Dess instantly regretted saying those words, knowing for certain Marty and his invisible engeeklopedia would come up with a million ways to prove her wrong.

"Au contraire! The average IQ of a menial solider is 136 – well above the average IQ for the common folk. I suggest you reevaluate your-"

"Alright. Alright! I get it. But you're still not coming in here." The polymaths locked eyes, Marty intent on entering Dess's secret domain.

For a moment, Dess felt herself drowning in Marty's blue eyes – one of his few handsome features. Marty felt their gaze deepening as well, but neither of them could quite understand what was happening.

"Yo, Dess! Let's get a move on! The armory is a mess!" Both polymaths snapped to attention. Jonathan, displaced by Melissa, had meandered down to the basement. Dess shook herself of whatever she had been feeling moments before and quickly darted into the armory.

Jonathan walked up to Marty, preparing to enter the armory as well. He paused, however, just before entering and turned to speak to the lump of collegiate flesh behind him. "Dess is one tough nut to crack. I wouldn't get too attached."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

December 14, 11:48 PM

Jonathan paced the lobby of the hotel restlessly. In 12 minutes he would be able to see Jessica. It haunted him that in the four years that had passed they hadn't found some way to save Jess. Not long after the Samhain incident, he had promised himself he would save Jess. But now it seemed like that dream was nothing but a fleeting memory.

Practically no time at all had flown for Jess. To her, it was only about 3 months after Samhain. She was still 15. He was 20. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. It was moments like these that he wished he could be working on Midnighter business. If he was busy, he wouldn't have to think about the sheer impossibility of their relationship.

He loved her, he knew that much. But there were times when he wondered if it might be better to just end things between them. He had begun to yearn for a woman his age - a woman who could be with him 24 hours a day.

And almost like an answer to his prayers, the hotel door swung open, revealing a very lost looking young woman. The hotel clerk walked over and asked if he could do anything for her. She nodded and said, "I'm looking for a Jonathan Martinez." The acrobat's ears perked up and he walked over towards the woman.

She appeared to be in her early 20's, perhaps of Hispanic descent. Luminous brown eyes sat behind petite spectacles, dark mahogany locks were pulled up into a messy bun. She wore a business suit; a notepad was tucked neatly under one arm. Jonathan was hooked.

"Ah, here he is now!" the clerk motioned to Jonathan who promptly stepped up and shook the female's hand.

"Jonathan Martinez at your service," he coughed, almost uncertain as to whether or not the words would come out right.

"Tricia Suarez - journalist from The Oklahoman…" she said with a smile as the familiar shudder of Midnight set it. Jonathan cursed, he hated to be caught talking to daylighters when the midnight shift occurred. However, Jonathan found that Tricia was still very much alive.

"…as well as a Midnighter."

Jonathan's thoughts about the discovery were cut short, however, as Jessica bounded towards him. He had left her in the lobby the night before, and there she was, waiting for him at the stroke of midnight.

"Ah, this is Jessica," Jonathan said to Tricia, motioning to the rather small girl who had wrapped herself around his torso.

"Oh, hello! I've heard a lot about you Jessica… quite a few rumors flying about you, you know," Tricia said, shaking Jess's hand.

"Well…" Jessica looked up to Jonathan impatiently, elbowing him playfully.

"Ah, yes. Jessica is my girlfriend," Jonathan admitted, with slight embarrassment. Jessica giggled and squeezed him tighter.

"Your girlfriend?" Tricia questioned, looking back and forth from the adolescent girl to the ever maturing man before her.

"Uh, yes. I'm sure you've heard the story before… Jess is trapped here in the blue time." Jonathan was going to continue but Tricia motioned to signal she did indeed know.

"Oh that's right!" she scoffed her own stupidly lightheartedly. "Every midnighter knows the story of Jonathan and Jessica, the sweetest midnighter couple ever. How could I have forgotten?" Tricia smiled boldly, reaching for the suitcase the sat dignified at her feet.

"Would one of you be kind enough to escort me to a room? I do love midnight, but I've spent a good part of the day being lost on my way from Oklahoma City. I'm beat!" Jonathan instantly volunteered, grabbing her suitcase hurriedly.

However, in his rush, Jonathan had managed to unhook the clasps holding the suitcase together and the contents promptly spilled onto the floor.

Among the various clothes and hygiene products, copious amounts of energy bars and apples could be found.

"Well, I suppose my midnighter gift isn't a secret any longer," Tricia said with a laugh, bending down to aid Jonathan is cleaning up the mess.

"You're an acrobat! Super! We can always use more of those, right Jonathan?" Jess asked happily.

"Yeah, yeah. Tricia coming here is… super," Jonathan said with markedly less enthusiasm than Jess. He wondered if her presence might signal the end of the sweetest midnighter couple ever.


	3. Chapter ::3::

Note: Hey, thanks for all the positive support! Both this fic and my Midnighters one-shot have been feeling the love lately. If you feel so inclined to review, it's always much appreciated on my part. Thanks for reading!

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December 18, 8:23 AM

Dess hated working. She hated getting up early. She hated being in the presence of Marty. Today was not proving to be a very happy day. In fact, the whole week had been turning out rather poorly. The bitch goddess had returned with the nerd lord, although Melissa had seemed quite less bitchy. She had gotten stuck as Midnight Convention Advertisement Chairwoman. This unprestigious title required her to stand on ladder _and_ call people she didn't know – two of her least favorite things. And, on top of all this, Marty was her co-chair. Needless to say, Dess had been contemplating joining a convent that forbade any visitors of any kind.

"Move it a little higher! It's not level! You're not forming a 90 degree angle!" Marty yelled. Fortunately for Dess, he was a good 50 feet away. Unfortunately for Dess, he was not ever happy with the exact position she placed the "1st Annual Midnighters Convention" sign on the front of the Midnight Motel. She sighed and, without heeding Marty's advice, simply drove a nail into the building. She honestly didn't care if it was a few centimeters uneven on one side.

Marty's wail of disapproval resounded across town.

"Dess!" he whined, running as fast as his twiggy legs could carry him. By the time he reached the hotel, Dess was already folding up the ladder.

"It's uneven! Why didn't you use my calculation?" he cried, thrusting a marked up piece of binder paper in her face.

"Because_some_ things don't require calculations, Marty!" She turned sharply, carrying the ladder around to the other side of the building. There was only one of the signs left and Dess hoped to tack it down with no further complaints from Marty.

While ascending the ladder, Dess realized that dream was too much to ask for.

"But Dess!" he whined, shaking the ladder angrily.

"Everything in life can use calculation! Life would be so much more organized, so much easier!" he griped as Dess flailed around, fighting for balance.

"Hey watch it there!" she yelled, grabbing onto the roof ledge to maintain footing. In Marty's fervent demand for calculations, he had shimmied the ladder so far over to the left that Dess's feet could no longer touched the top step.

"MARTY!" she screamed, kicking her feet violently, as if her kicks could fly through the air and hit Marty in the gut. But she would inflict damage soon enough for the female polymath felt her fingers loosen their grip on the roof.

With an uncalculated, unplanned, and unwanted swoosh, Dess sailed gracefully to the ground, landing face first on top of a certain arrogant genius below her.

"You will feel the wrath of Alternatively Morphological Pigmentations," she whispered, barely able to breath after having the wind swiftly knocked out of her.

"I will what?" he murmured, unaware that Alternatively Morphological Pigmentations was one of Dess's newest creations.

Dess groaned painfully, gazing down at the scholarly pile of body parts below her. She cocked her head, examining the figure below her.

"You know, you don't look so bad from this angle," she candidly admitted, brushing a lock of hair behind her right ear.

Marty groaned underneath her, wheezing for air. "I'm in excruciating pain…," he whined as Dess began to laugh and rolled off of him. She continued to laugh, harder than she'd laughed in a long time.

"What's so funny?" Marty croaked, attempting to struggle to his feet. He gave up, however, and collapsed back onto the cold cement.

Dess didn't say anything. It was better to keep Marty in agonizing wait. She continued laughing, almost howling with glee at the hilarity of their situation.

"I said, 'What's so funny?'" Marty demanded a response this time, but Dess decided that there was no way she was going to elicit a response.

In fact, she was laughing for a very ridiculous reason. Dess was humorously pondering that fact that maybe, just maybe, she was growing to like Marty.

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December 18, 9:12 AM

"So, is this an OK interview spot?" Jonathan asked Tricia, opening the door to a vacant room in the hotel. It was an average room, to be sure, but the 3rd story room offered a luxurious view of downtown Bixby.

"OK? This is great!" Tricia ran to the window peering out to the sleepy small town below. Almost directly below her, Dess and Marty could be seen sitting on a bench, presumably discussing numbers. A few people mulled the streets; a few shops advertised various sales; a restaurant or two ushered in those hungry for breakfast.

"This is exactly what I pictured Bixby would be like: a sleepy little town with a wonderful secret; a nice, quaint town with welcoming people." She turned to face Jonathan who had taken a seat on a couch.

"It's more wonderful than I ever could have imagined… so much friendlier than Oklahoma City. Big cities are so… cold and hostile. I just love Bixby." She took a seat in a chair across from Jonathan, pulling out a notepad from the briefcase she had been carrying.

"So, when did you realize you were a Midnighter?" Tricia asked, jumping right into her interview. She had come to Bixby to do all inclusive complete coverage of the 1st Annual Midnighter Convention. She had arrived three weeks early however, to interview various Midnighters and do a full story on Bixby itself.

Ever since the expansion of the blue time, Midnighters had become a fascination of the general populace. Some regarded them as heroes, others as freaks. Some thought of them mutants, some even regarded them as angels saving the world from the devil's darklings.

But no matter how they were viewed, it was undeniable that they were a hot topic – even four years after the spread of the blue time. No one knew their history or their secrets for the 'Senior Midnighters' refused to talk about anything. Tricia was hoping to break their barrier of silence. She hoped that by being a Midnighter herself, she could get the real scoop. Not only to better understand herself, but also to make a fortune by selling the information to every paper, magazine, website, and TV station that would buy it. Exploiting the Midnighter craze could be the best thing for her career. And to start it off, she realized, exploiting Jonathan could be the quickest way to dig up all the secret Midnighter dirt.

"Jonathan?" Tricia questioned, trying to bring Jonathan out of his zombie like stare.

"Oh! Right, sorry." Jonathan cursed himself inwardly, hoping Tricia hadn't realized he had been staring at her.

"I guess I always knew there was something different about me. Well, you know, the excessive eating, the flexibility, and the desire to just… burn a lot of energy. I didn't know I was an actual Midnighter until a few days after I moved to Bixby. I was sneaking out when all of a sudden everything just froze. It was incredible and frightening at the same time." Jonathan stopped before he got caught up in memories. One of them would eventually lead him back to Jess and she was the most distracting thing he could think about during an interview.

"And what would you say is your favorite part about being a Midnighter?" the phrase, 'Seeing Jess,' nearly tumbled out of his mouth, but Jonathan caught himself just in time. Years ago, months ago even, that would have the definite answer. No questions asked. But lately her presence seemed almost juvenile. Her constant visibility during the blue time seemed to be only a hindrance to him now.

Jonathan was first and foremost a loner. Jess knew this but as of late she had been even clingier than usual. She was a weight around his legs that kept him from flying where he wanted to. He was starting to wonder if where he wanted to be was with Tricia.

"Well, I would have to say the excitement and beauty of it. Midnight is the only time I can use my acrobat powers, skills I would love to have in the daytime. And the blue time is so beautiful. Everything is still, frozen, and perfect. It's exhilarating." Tricia smiled, understanding exactly what he meant. However, blue time was even handier for her. She used the secret hour to sneak into other newspaper firms and steal headlines, stories, and sometimes even entire articles.

"The Midnighters have been keeping their knowledge a secret thus far. What's your opinion on the matter?" Jonathan thought back, remembering Rex's conversation with them all before they set off to comb the country for Midnighters.

"The Lore is to be protected first and foremost. Tell no one our history or secrets. The time will come when Midnighters will learn of their past, but for now, for our own protection, just help the new Midnighters understand their power." It had made sense to Jonathan at the time. They could be taken advantage of, or the information could be put to use for something nefarious. However, Jonathan saw no real danger in it now. Almost everyone knew what a Midnighter was. And with the convention approaching, soon every one who attended would know the truth about the secret hour, darklings, and the lore.

'And besides,' Jonathan thought, 'Tricia is a nice enough woman. She wouldn't publish any information that would harm the Midnighters. Hell, she's one of us!'

"I think our vow of silence is… unnecessary. In fact, let me be the first to break it." Tricia smiled. Jonathan Martinez was putty in her hands.

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December 18, 11:46 PM

Rex and Melissa were curled on the couch, watching the 11 o'clock news. There was nothing very interesting going on, really. There was a mention of the upcoming Midnighters Convention, an update on the conviction of kleptomaniac, news about a Christmas parade somewhere east of Bixby, and the local weather report. Both Midnighters found themselves almost drifting off into sleep.

However, they had planned to go out in the blue time. It was thundering outside, and if it continued, they were going to go out in search of a lightening bolt. Just like old times.

"Hey, I'm going to get some coffee," Rex said, squirming underneath Melissa. She sat up, allowing him to get off the couch.

"You want some?" he asked, padding his way into the adjoining kitchen.

"Oh, no thanks. You know I don't consume caffeine," she said, readjusting herself on the Rexless couch.

"When did this start?" Rex asked, trying to hard to remember a time when Melissa had ever turned down coffee or caffeinated soda.

"Uh, back in 7th grade… remember when they showed us that creepy video about the negative effects of caffeine?" Melissa sat up once more, this time to track Rex's movements in the kitchen.

"But I distinctly remember that one time freshman year when you and Dess drank so much coffee that you actually started dancing to modern music," Rex countered, pulling coffee creamer from the refrigerator.

"What?! You and I both know that would never happen!" Melissa exclaimed, getting slightly upset that Rex would accuse her of such a heinous crime.

"Oh no, my memories don't lie Melissa. I'm a seer. I remember these things perfectly, you know," Rex said with a smile, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

Melissa was not amused. "I'm telling you!" she wailed, getting visibly upset, "I haven't had a sip of caffeine since 7th grade!" she got off the couch and stormed over to Rex, who was now pouring the creamer into his cup of steaming java.

"I know you're lying," she said confidently, pursing her lips. "Oh?" Rex responded, turning to face her. She pulled his chin down to meet her, kissing him without restraining her mindcaster abilities. Hundreds of emotions overtook Rex, but he could distinctly feel that Melissa was probing to see if he did in fact remember that specific occasion.

After a few moments of passionate kissing, Melissa broke free, a satisfied and uncharacteristic smile on her face. Rex was shocked at how four years could change a person.

"You little liar!" she exclaimed, storming off to return to the couch.

"I swear I remember it happening!" Rex said, trying to redeem himself. He had, in fact, lied about that particular incident. However, he was positive Melissa had consumed caffeine sometime after that video in the 7th grade.

"You're brain doesn't lie," Melissa snarked, referring to the fact that she had found no evidence of such an incident occurring in Rex's mind. "Whatever," Rex sighed, taking his coffee into the living room to sit with Melissa.

It was amazing to both of them how much the other had changed. Rex, with an almost complete lack of friendship for the past four years, had become even more introverted. Melissa, who had broken free from the suffocating Bixby, had become somewhat of an extrovert.

"You've changed so much," Rex said, now curled up on the couch once more. Melissa smiled nestled herself further into Rex's embrace.

"You know, everyone in Bixby has said that. You, Dess, my parents… even Jonathan and Jessica say I'm not quite who I used to be." Melissa shuddered slightly, almost afraid of what she was saying.

"It scares me sometimes," she whispered as Rex drew her closer. "I'm… becoming more of a daylighter." She shivered with disgust, appalled at the fact she even uttered those words.

"God Rex, what's happening to me?" Melissa questioned, burying her face in Rex's shoulder.

"That little disagreement we had… that didn't even sound like me!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"People change Cowgirl, it happens," Rex said, trying to be reassuring.

"No. No! Not to me!" she said defiantly. Rex began to laugh, suddenly realizing why Melissa could have changed. "You know Melissa, I think you're finally happy." Melissa looked up at her Loverboy, studying his face intently.

"Being a Daylighter isn't being happy." Midnight shuddered into place familiarly, causing Melissa to smile widely. "Being a Midnighter is."


End file.
